Transmigration
by UtSuKuShIi MoOn
Summary: AU/Yaoi – College student, Eren Jaeger, meets Levi Ackerman, the Boss of a notorious gang, by accidentally bumping into him. Since then he's been having weird dreams about giants eating humans. Of course, it doesn't help that each time he sees him, his heart skips a beat faster. Falling in love wasn't his plan, however, loving a dangerous man comes with a deadly price.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Attack on Titan.

 **A/N:** Yaoi. Yes, another yaoi fanfic for LevixEren. Don't like, don't read. This is an AU fanfic. Characters may be out of character.

 **Warning:** Rated M for sexual content and violence.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

"Ah, Eren watch out!" Armin's blue eyes lit up in surprise just as something bumped into his back.

He stumbled a bit forward, spilling the bright orange juice in his cup onto his pricey, new shirt. Eren scowled. He _really_ liked the shirt too. Clucking his tongue, he was too busy turning around to face whoever that bumped into him that he didn't see the look of fear on Armin's face. And since Mikasa wasn't there to stop him (thankfully), he was free to start up shit. He glowered, but found only an empty space. Blinking in puzzlement, he slowly tilted his head down and stared into a pair of glaring dark eyes. He was taken aback for a moment. Somehow, it felt all too familiar to have those eyes on him.

"Hey brat, you shouldn't stand in the middle of the sidewalk. People are trying to get through here," the short man said with hint of scolding.

 _What. The. Fuck._ Eren blinked again. Frowning, he pointed to the orange stain on his shirt. " _You_ bumped into me and made me spill my juice. Shouldn't you apologize first?"

"Ah?" The man frowned even more—if that was even possible—and cluck his tongue at him. "Fucking brat with his kiddie drink should just shut up and listen to their elders."

Even though the words coming out of the man's mouth was insulting, Eren felt a shudder down his spine. Excitement. No, it was anxiousness, as if he knew the voice in that particular tone all too well. Confused by his emotional reaction to respond, he merely watched as the dark haired man started to walk away. He was joggled out of his trance by Armin who was repeatedly calling out to him. It took him a second to realize that Armin's voice was trembling with fear. Shaking his head, he turned to his best friend and raised a brow. "What is it?"

"Eren!" Armin half whispered, "Did you even know who you were trying to pick a fight with?!"

"Huh?"

"Look at his neck!" Armin discreetly pointed to the departing man.

Eren tilted his head, squinting his eyes to take a look at the neck. He spotted it only briefly, but he knew what it was; an emblem with a pair of wings crossing. _The Legion_. They were the most notorious gang on the street who had relation to many big corporations, especially the entertainment industry, as well as small businesses around the area. They even controlled the biggest casino. If anything, they were more like a big business than a gang. Eren gulped. Although they never dabbled in drugs or human trafficking, the Legion was known for its violence. He didn't want to get involved with that. He shuddered at the thought of almost getting himself killed. "My bad..." he muttered, "Let's not mention this to Mikasa."

"Yeah..." Armin agreed.

"But...my shirt. I really liked this one," Eren whined.

Rolling his eyes, his blond friend smiled, "You can buy a new one."

"Money isn't something I can just throw around!"

"No, but since you got that part time job at that grocery store, it's fine. You can save up and get another one...in a different color that would suit you more."

"Yellow doesn't suit me?"

"Oh god no. Go with cooler colors, like blue. Even a neutral color might better. Buuuuut, if you really want to wear a warm color...I say go with green. It'll match your eye colors better."

"Hmmm...Armin, why are you good at this?"

Armin sighed, "Maybe because there's another guy just like you who wears horrible clothes that it's an embarrassment to be seen with him sometimes."

"You did not just compare me to that horse face shit."

"Don't call Jean that. And yes, I did. Now come on, we have to start on that research for our report."

"Yeah, yeah..." Eren grumbled as he zipped up his tanned sweater to hide the orange stain.

The two of them returned to Eren's apartment where he lived with his mother. His father had went missing when he was younger. He learned long ago that it was best not to mention it to his mother. He didn't want to hear her crying and it hurt to see her in pain, thus he kept quiet. Even now, he still doesn't know what happened to his dad, but as much as he despised the man for disappearing on them, he was also content with just his mother.

"Mom, I'm back. Armin is here too," he called out. He could hear her footsteps as she approached from the kitchen. Her brown hair appeared first before she popped her head out from behind the wall.

Smiling brightly at them, his mother, Carla, greeted them warmly, "Welcome back! Armin, how is your grandfather?"

"He's fine now, thanks. Sorry for intruding, by the way," Armin replied.

"Nonsense. You're always welcome. You're like a second son...a much smarter and kinder son than the one I have right now."

"Hey!" Eren pouted, but eventually broke into a smile.

His mother finally stepped out from the kitchen, hanging the apron along the way. She was dressed in her work uniform. Walking up to him, she grabbed his face and gave him a peck on his forehead. Eren nudged her away, blushing from embarrassment. "Mooooom, I'm not a child anymore," he whined.

"Really? My twenty-two year old son who can't even cook for himself is not a child anymore?" she asked teasingly.

Rolling his eyes, Eren huffed, "I can cook...eggs and ramen. It'll sustain me."

His mother chuckled, shaking her head. Waving goodbye, she said, "I'm heading to work. I'll be late today. Dinner is in the refrigerator. Heat it up if you two get hungry. Armin, will you be staying the night?"

"Yes," Armin nodded his head. "We have to finish our report before tomorrow."

"Alright, you know where the extra mats are."

"Uh huh. Be careful on your way to work."

"Thank you." Carla gave a small peck on Armin's cheek as well before she finally left.

Eren led Armin to his room and for the rest of the day, they worked diligently on their research. Around nine at night, Eren's stomach began to rumble. He forcefully peeled Armin away from his text book so they could eat dinner—because if he didn't, his friend would forget to eat. By ten, they were back in his room and nose deep in books and papers. Midnight rolled around with sleep clawing at Eren. His sight was getting blurry too. Yawning, he stretched his arms and rubbed his eyes. They were mostly done, but just needed to site their work. Armin told him he could go to sleep first and he would finish up their papers. Eren smiled sleepily, thanking him as he crawled into bed. "You know where the futons are...but if you're too lazy to get them, just nudge me over and sleep on the bed with me," Eren mumbled sluggishly.

He wasn't sure if Armin replied, but either way, he trusted his friend to do whatever he wanted. Sleep was already lulling him away. Maybe he would dream of something good.

 _He could almost touch the bright, blue sky, but that wasn't really what was running through his head. At the moment, he was trying to reach someone, but who, he didn't know. He just knew he had to get there. There were screams echoing around him and if he focused a bit more on his surrounding, he could see blood splattering everywhere. An extension cord shot out from his 3DMG, swinging him forward._

 _Forward. It was the only option left. Going back would be suicide, but his head was looking over his shoulder before he knew it. A titan, it's long blond hair swaying back and forth as it ran toward the tiny opposing human in front, opened its wide mouth. Saliva drenched teeth came into view as it lunged forward. Eren's eyes widen as the human swung away just in time. Her black hair covered her face, but Eren knew who it was. "Mikasa!" he screamed._

 _She turned her head toward him and nodded. Her lips moved and he read them. He wanted to go back, but she was telling him to go. Eren looked away, shooting through the city and avoiding the titans. He was so close, but somehow it still felt far. Soaring forward, he screamed, "Heichou!"_

"-ren!"

Eren fumbled, his hands shot up, smacking into flesh. Mumbling groggily, he opened his eyes, "Wha-eh? Armin?"

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and stared down at his crouching friend. Realizing he had hit him, he threw his blankets off and quickly scrambled to the floor to help Armin. It wasn't a horrible injury, but it did leave a red mark on Armin's pale skin cheek. He apologized sheepishly, but luckily Armin wasn't the type to get easily angered. Turned out he was flailing around in bed and Armin had gotten worried. He tried to wake him up, but in the process had gotten hit more than once. Eren felt guilty and apologized again. He didn't even really remember what he was dreaming about. Running his fingers through his brown hair, he sighed loudly. He didn't remember, but his body was shaking with adrenaline. Whatever he was dreaming about had his heart pumping. "I'm thirsty..." he muttered, "Sorry again, Armin. Did you want anything to drink too?"

"No, I'm good," he answered. "Since you're going out there, can you grab the futon and extra blankets?"

"Sure. Finished up the citing?"

"Uh huh. We'll nail this project if it's the last thing I do."

"I rather not have this be the last thing we do. I don't want to die knowing the last thing I did was work on homework."

Armin giggled, but Eren shuddered at the thought as he exited his room to grab himself a water bottle. Too lazy to turn on the lights, he stumbled his way through the hallway and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, twisting the cap open. Just as he placed the rim against his lips, he saw a large shadow move outside the kitchen window. Suddenly, a huge head pressed against the glass. It's eyes staring hungrily at him as its mouth opened. Eren yelped in surprise, jumping back. The bottle slipped from his hands and suddenly the world started spinning. Nausea built bile in his throat. Eren groaned as he leaned forward. His hands stretched out to hold onto anything. Images flickered through his head. A young blond teen was flying through the air beside him before a giant looking human came out of no where, plunging the teen into its waiting mouth. _Blood_. All he could see was the splattering of blood scattering across open air before the titan moved its head to reveal the upper body of the teen sticking out of his mouth. _Thomas_. Eren wanted to puke from seeing the horrendous, gory scene playing through his head.

"Eren? Eren!" his mother's voice sounded muffled through his ringing ears. "What's wrong?"

Her cool hands touched his nape, calming him immediately. Eren took a large gulp of breath and shuddered. Leaning his back against the refrigerator, his mother worriedly looked over him. Armin had appeared as well, but he didn't know when. He glanced over to the kitchen window, but didn't see anything. Swallowing slowly, he wrapped his arms around himself to stop the trembling.

"Eren?" Carla looked into his eyes, concerned and overwhelmed by the scene she came upon.

"I'm fine, mom," Eren said to make her stop worrying, "I just got a little dizzy."

Despite telling Carla and Armin he was fine, the two proceeded to help him. Surprisingly, he needed the help. With both of them on either side, the three of them made their way back to his room where he was force to lay on the bed. His mother briefly left to retrieve the water he never got to drink while Armin went to grab the futon and extra blankets. After downing the water, his lay back onto the bed. He had wanted to help Armin lay out the comforter, but his friend adamantly refused his help.

After some time, Armin settled down to sleep. Laying quietly, Eren stared up at his ceiling, sleep no longer clinging to him. Instead, a sudden anxiety took over his mind. It seem to dance around in circles. Images of the dream like vision resurfaced, causing him to flinch. It felt so real as if he was actually there with the wind billowing in his face, the stench of blood, the sound of people screaming and buildings crumbling as titans crushed them. He took a shuddering breath and tried to close his eyes, but when he did, the image of the dying teenager became clear and crisp. Eren groaned, turning onto his side and throwing the pillow over his head. He didn't want to see that again.

"Are you okay?" Armin's muffled, worried voice flowed through the pillow.

Eren grunted first, but after a few seconds, removed the pillow and replied, "Yeah...just—whatever. Stupid dreams."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"I think if you did, you might feel better."

"Armin, do not go all counselor—shit on me."

"But it's healthy for you." Armin protested.

Eren groaned. "Just because that's what you are majoring in, does not mean you can use me as a guinea pig."

"I'm a good listener."

"I know you are. It's why so many of our friends go to you to talk about their problems."

"Uh huh. You know, according to Sigmund Freud, _dreams are the royal road to the unconscious_."

"Don't start your fucking lectures on psychology. Look..." Eren fumbled with his words. He was unsure how to explain to Armin without sounding like he had lost this mind. Sighing in defeat, he rolled onto his back again to stare at the ceiling. A minute passed before he finally pitched a sentence together in his head. Something he could use as an excuse, a bit of truth and a bit of a lie. "I really don't remember what I had dreamed about, but I don't think it was anything serious. And whatever that happened in the kitchen...I was just dizzy." He shrugged even though Armin probably couldn't see.

"...You sure?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'm sure. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay..."

Armin fell silent and eventually the two of drifted off to sleep.

The next thing he knew, he was being roughly shaken awake. Eren blinked groggily, trying to wipe sleep from his hazy mind. At first, Armin's frantic voice was a muffle noise until he realized what he was saying.

"Wake up! We're going to be late for class! And we did not just stay up all last night trying to finish the report only to get a failing grade!" Armin said as he shuffled through the room to put on his shirt.

Their professor didn't like late students and he often docked them points on their attendance for being just a minute late. Eren was up and out of bed, quickly running to the bathroom to wash up. Afterward, he slipped on his jeans—the same one he wore yesterday because he didn't have time to grab a new one—and put on whatever shirt he saw lying around. He glanced at the digital clock and cursed under his breath. 8:30 and their class started at 9:30. The bus arrived at 8:40. It would take them at least eight minutes to get to the bus stop, five if they ran fast enough. It took at least another thirty to thirty-five minutes to get to the college—as long as there wasn't any bad traffic. He and Armin were out the door by 8:32, running down the sidewalk and ignoring pedestrian laws as they hurried to the bus stop. They rounded the corner just as the bus took on the last few people and was about to leave. Eren sprinted, slamming his hand on the door before it slid close, surprising the driver. Panting heavily, Eren waved a hand, "Wait. My fri-friend is coming too."

Seconds later, Armin appeared and they boarded, showing the driver their college ID before sitting down. Exhausted from running, the two of them lay back on the seat with their eyes closed. But as the minutes passed by, Eren started to check his phone for the time. As he had expected, traffic was bad. When they arrived at the college, it was 9:25, but their class was across the campus. They sprinted again and by some miracle made it to their class one minute before 9:30 and a second earlier than their professor.

Eren slumped onto his desk, groaning and wondering why this class hadto be in the morning only. Armin followed suit. Their other friend, Connie, plopped down next to them, snickering at their misery. "Had fun?"

"Shut up," Eren grumbled just as Professor Shadis entered.

The room quieted and everyone sat up straighter. About a minute after Professor Shadis entered, the door slammed open. A girl with brown hair tied in a pony tail stood between the doorway. She was hunched over and panting loudly. Professor Shadis stared intensely at her.

"Sasha Blouse. You're late and that means you failed the project. And thanks to that, you're partner, Connie Springer failed too," Professor Shadis said without a hint of compassion.

Eren winced, glancing quickly over to Connie who was frozen with his mouth gaping. And then Sasha was speaking, telling him about how delicious her breakfast was and how she couldn't just leave it even though she woke up late. Connie interrupted, claiming it was unfair to fail him just because she was late and he even had the report papers with him. This went on for about five minutes until Professor Shadis finally silenced them with his menacing eyes. It must have been a good day because Shadis actually allowed Sasha into the classroom, mentioning they would get one grade drop from their final grade on the paper. Class resumed like normal. Shadis began with collecting the reports. As he passed by Eren, he stopped and glared down at him. Eren gulped, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Youngsters these days. That is quite the fashion statement." Shadis continued on his way, but it confused the hell out of Eren.

Blinking, he frowned and turned to Armin who casually pointed at his shirt. He glanced down and stifled a groan. He was wearing his orange stained shirt from yesterday. Basically, he was wearing the same outfit as yesterday. The class giggled and some even out right laughed, but they all fell silent when Shadis turned his evil eye on them. After that, class resumed. An hour and twenty minutes later, he and Armin were exiting the class and heading to the library to meet up with Mikasa. She was waiting upstairs, sitting in a corner booth beside the large window. She spotted them, but quickly noticed the shirt Eren was wearing. When they were within whispering ear shot, Mikasa began rummaging through her bag.

"I knew this was going to happen," she whispered as she took out an extra shirt, "here."

Eren brightened at the sight of it. He took it from her, unfolding it and holding it up. "Tha-" He stopped, his smile slowly fading. He blinked, wondering if he was just seeing things, but it was definitely real. The white shirt Mikasa had given him was designed with an ukiyo-e drawing of a samurai right in the center within view of any eye sight. "Uhhh..."

Lost for words, he brought the shirt down and stared at Mikasa's expressionless face. She blushed and he laughed sheepishly. "Thanks..." he said. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, he quickly took off his stained shirt and slipped hers on. He tugged at the collar awkwardly, but kept it on.

The next hours or so, the three of them sat and spoke every now and then, but they mostly worked on unfinished homework or read the required chapters from their textbook. Armin left first to attend his class and then he and Mikasa left for theirs.

Most of their day was spent at the community college in the library, finishing up assignments. When they decided to go back home, Armin and Mikasa left together since they lived in the same direction. He went back by himself, but he missed the last bus so he walked home. Deciding to take a short cut, he went through an alley. Somewhere in the middle of the alley, it became a four way cross. Eren slowed his walking when he heard some scuffling. As he approached the four way cross, a bloody body staggered from the left side. Eren stopped in his tracks, gasping at the sight of the bleeding man. He was gripping his right side where Eren could clearly see a puncture wound and blood seeping continuously from it. The man fell to the ground, taking heavy breaths, but Eren could hear his lungs having trouble. _Blood was probably flooding them_. He took a step back, but as he did, he heard more footsteps. His head whipped up from the body on the floor. A person appeared, shorter than he was, but there was killing intent surrounding him. Eren eyed the tattoo on the man's neck, his eyes slowly grazing upward until his teal eyes met with familiar gray ones. Somehow in the dimness of the alley, they seemed brighter than yesterday.

"Tsk, fucking brat. Aren't you the one from yesterday? Why are you here?" he asked.

"Ah...I...uh..." Eren stuttered. He couldn't help from going back to look at the body of the man who was now, apparently, dead.

"First time seeing a dead body?"

"No...yes, I mean. Um...can I go? I won't tell anyone what I saw."

He didn't see it coming. He only realized the man had moved when his back was pressing against the brick wall of the building; their bodies pressed against one another tightly to the point where Eren could actually feel the muscle of the other man's body rippling with movement and the outline of his cock pressing against his thigh. His breath hitched. The man moved closer and Eren dare say, even tipped on his feet so their lips barely brushed. Hot breaths tickled his skin. Eren stared, swimming in the man's intense, dark gray eyes. Words were fizzling from his brain. He couldn't think, couldn't even process that he was most likely in danger. His breath was shaking, but heat was rising to his cheeks. His heart beat faster and for the briefest moment, it felt like he knew the man's body. And then a hand was on his throat and all thoughts switched off.

"Listen closely kid, the last thing you want to do is piss me off," whispered the man.

Eren gulped, but didn't move or answer. He didn't know what the man wanted.

"Get out of here." And then the man pulled away.

The stifling air swept away. Eren was breathing again, though still slightly shaken. Without a word, he pushed himself off the wall and was hurrying back the way he came. He only stopped when the man called back out to him.

"Brat!" he yelled. He didn't move; he just stood near the body, his back facing him. "Don't ever come back this way again...especially with that piece of shit shirt on again."

Nodding his head, Eren took off in a run. He didn't even bother to comment back on the insult of Mikasa's shirt. He wasn't far when he heard a female voice calling out to the man.

"Levi! Ah, you really did it..." the female voice seem to be in awe.

Curiosity got the better of him and Eren stopped again to look over his shoulder. A girl with red hair was leaning over the dead body, whistling at the sight of it. Levi—as Eren now found out—shook his head.

"He came at me first," he said nonchalantly, "And why are you here? Didn't I tell you to wait?"

"But we got worried since you didn't come back in time." At that moment, the redhead girl looked up, locking eyes with him. Suddenly, another man appeared behind her.

Eren turned and started running again before Levi could see he was watching them.

"Hm? Who's that?" the girl asked.

"...No one," Levi replied.

"What do you mean _no one_? He saw every-ouch! What the hell, Farlan?"

"Leave it, Isabel."

The girl grumbled, but Eren was already too far to listen to the rest of their conversation. He didn't need to hear anymore or he would be made an accomplice to their brutal ways.

He slammed the front door shut as soon as he got inside his house, startling his mother. His mind still reeling from what he witnessed, he ignored every question his mother threw at him and retreated to his room. Closing that door behind him—and right in front of his mother's face—earned him a scolding, but his mother's voice was a blur, a distance in the dark of his mind. Eren flopped onto his bed, not even caring to remove his clothes. Half an hour pass before the sound of pounding finally entered his hazed mind. His mother's voice was now getting through and he quickly stood up to open the door. Carla was standing in front of him, concern plastered over her face. It hurt him to see how concerned she was about him. Eren shifted awkwardly on his feet. "Sorry..."

His one word seem to clicked in Carla and suddenly, she was frowning. "Oh...Eren! I can't believe you! Coming back here and slamming the front door and then even daring to ignore me! What has gotten into you?"

"Sorry, mom. It's just..." Eren couldn't tell her he just saw a murder scene. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm still a little tired and especially with what happened last night."

Carla's expression immediately returned to being concern and soon she was fretting over him. Sighing, he swatted her hands away, assuring her he was fine and that he just needed some sleep. She eventually left him alone, allowing him to return to his room in peace. This time, Eren discarded his clothes, lying on the bed in only his boxer briefs. His mind wandered back to the alley, but instead of the bloody scene replaying itself, it was the scene of how quickly Levi had moved and pressed himself against him. It was the way how their bodies seem to mold together perfectly that turned him on. It was the ghostly feel of Levi's hot breaths on his skin that burned him. It was his gray eyes boring deep into him that had his heart beating faster with each minute. Eren shuddered. Levi was...lovely. Handsome. And surprisingly, well toned in muscle. He wanted to see him again. It was a dangerous thought, but Eren yearned to look into those eyes again. They brought back nostalgic memories, even though he had never met him until yesterday. But they were feelings he missed like he longed to have them back. Eren rolled onto his side, determined to see him again, if only for a brief glance. As long as he got to see him, he would be relieved. _Because then I know he is okay._

The thought that came through was an odd one. Of course he knew Levi was okay. He just saw him and there wasn't a hint of wound on him. Despite being confused, Eren brushed the thought aside. Tomorrow he would go see Levi, or rather, he would try to get a glimpse of the dark haired man. Even if he got in trouble, even if Levi turned him away, he would go to him no matter what it brought.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I've had this story stuck in my mind for some time. I can only hope that my writer's block of not being to phrase my sentences doesn't hinder me from continuing this fanfic as it has for some of my other ones. Anyways, I do have a second chapter finished that I must go back and proof read and I'm currently working on chapter three. Hopefully, I can get them out soon. :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Attack on Titan.

 **A/N:** Yaoi. Yes, another yaoi fanfic for LevixEren. Don't like, don't read. This is an AU fanfic.

 **Warning:** Rated M for sexual content and violence.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

As he promised himself the night before, Eren made his way back to the alley where he had met Levi the second time. His classes for the day was already over and since Armin already planned a date with Jean— _God knows why Armin even got together with him_ , Eren briefly thought—and Mikasa went shopping with the other girls, he was free to do as he wished. Inching his way to the alley, he peeked over the side of the wall. He checked the surrounding area, then quickly shuffled his way into the alley. His footsteps echoed, bouncing on the walls and sounding much louder in his ears. He shivered, even though the sun was still high up in the sky. He wrapped himself with his arms, stopping when he spotted the area where he the bloody man and Levi had appeared yesterday. It was empty now. The body was gone and the only evidence left of it was a light brown stain from the blood on the pale gray cement. And yet, the alley felt eerie as if the ghost of the dying man still lingered, haunting and waiting for its revenge. Eren shuddered at the thought. Another shiver ran down his spine. Shaking his head, he pulled his courage to continue straight ahead, passing the area of where the body use to lay.

"Fucking suicidal brat," a breathy voice whispered over his shoulder.

A hand gripped his shoulder, scaring the shit out of him. Eren yelped, pushed away and swiveled around. Levi stood, body relaxed, his head tilted slightly upward since he was just a bit shorter. As usual, his expression bordered between bored and annoyance.

"I told you not to come back here," Levi growled.

"I-uh...that...I-" Eren stuttered. He mentally cursed himself for always being tongue tied when he was around the other man.

Levi cluck his tongue. "Piece of dumb shit...can't even talk. Get out of here. If I see you again, I'll make sure you never se-"

"I wanted to see you again!" Eren blurted. He blinked, feeling his cheeks heat up instantly. _Oh god, did I really say that out loud?_

Levi fell silent, scrutinizing him with his intense stare. No words passed through his lips as he turned on his heels and walked away. Eren, startled by his reaction, followed suit, though a part of him was telling him not to follow. But he ignored is cautious side, throwing it to the wind and kept his eyes focused on Levi's back. They exited the alley, returning to the bustling sound of civilization. Suddenly, Levi turned again to face him. Eren stopped abruptly, unsure of what was going to happen next.

"What's your name?" Levi asked.

"Eren. Eren Jaeger," he replied.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

Levi made a humming sound, then just like that, he turned and left, ordering Eren not to follow him. Blinking, Eren stared after Levi's retreating figure. He shifted on his feet and sighed. The walk back home was depressing, but he renewed his resolve. Tomorrow, he would try again and if tomorrow didn't work out, then he could always try the next day after tomorrow.

Unfortunately, for the next two days, Eren didn't see Levi. Disappointed, he spent much of his following days in his normal routine. Or at least he tried. His nights were spent waking up from nightmares he couldn't quite remember and his heart thudding against his chest with cold sweat prickled his skin. Despite not even remembering his nghtmares, sleep never found its way back to him. He was exhausted and had even pondered taking sleeping pills after he woke from one of the nightmare. Not sure how to ask for help without sounding like he was crazy, he kept quiet.

Eren sighed as he dropped his backpack onto the floor of his bedroom. He flopped on on his bed, his face buried into the feathery soft pillow. He groaned, wanting to sleep, but his fear of the nightmares kept him from sleeping.

"Are you feeling okay?" Armin asked as he settled down and started taking out their math assignments.

Eren grunted, "I'm fine. Just tired s'all."

"...is it the dreams again?"

"..."

"Eren, if you need someone to listen, I'm always here. Hell, even Mikasa would sit down and listen and she's going nuts watching you come to class pale and tired!"

Rolling over onto his back, Eren stared at his ceiling. His hands were placed on his stomach as he counted the rise and fall of his chest. He didn't know how to explain it. He couldn't remember his dreams and even if he did, they were just blurs and twisted images. But every time he woke from them, his own sense of self was distorted, as if he didn't belong in this world. That feeling was becoming constant. He was afraid of it like if he didn't make himself remember where and who he was, he would lose touch with reality. Lifting his right hand, it raised it up and stared at it instead. He was real and he was here. "I don't know Armin. I don't know what these dreams are. I can't remember them, but they make me feel like there's something coming and it's not a good feeling," he whispered.

"Maybe you should get professional help," Armin suggested.

"I thought you said you would listen?"

"Yeah, but Eren...you're scaring me!"

Eren sat up, raising a brow at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"Sometimes, you would stare out the window and it's like your eyes see something else entirely. Like you're just staring into a vast darkness, waiting for it to swallow you! Mikasa is starting to worry too. I think you need help."

"I'm fine! See, this is why I didn't say anything!"

"Eren!"

"Stop! We're dropping the topic. It's nothing serious. Come on, let's just finish our math homework."

Armin grumbled, but went along. When they finished and Armin left, Eren returned to his bed. The second his head hit the pillow, sleep lured him into its abyss. Eren thought, for the merest moment, he probably should have listened to Armin about getting professional help, but by then, he was already dreaming.

He was a child again, but the world so much different. He was watching as the huge walls protecting their vulnerable town was broken easily. The debris scattered across their town, crashing onto homes and crushing people. His child's feet were pounding against the dirt floor, his breaths staccato as his lungs stung from running. _Home_. He needed to get home, but when he did, his mother lay under the pile of their broken house. He and Mikasa went to help, but he wasn't strong enough. A titan spotted them and his mother told him to leave her. He couldn't, so he tried again to pull at the broken pieces of heavy rubble and then Hannes appeared. Hope lifted inside him as Hannes turned toward the titan, but instantly disappeared as Hannes retreated from the approaching titan, grabbed him and Mikasa, and ran in the opposite direction. Eren watched in horror, useless and weak, as his mother was devoured in front of him.

Eren woke up with the sound of her bones breaking and crunching in the titan's teeth still ringing in his ear; the stench of blood was still fresh in his nose. His body shook as sweat beaded down his spine. He hurriedly pushed the blankets aside and ran out of his room. Fear clung to his skin as he briskly walked to his mother's room. Opening the door quietly, he peeked inside. His mother lay asleep in her bed, safe and sound. He breathed a sigh of relief and silently returned to his bed, but sleep wouldn't come. He didn't think he would ever sleep peacefully again.

The next day came by faster than he expected, but his body was ragged and worn. The nightmare from last night had taken a huge toll on him. He sluggishly moved around in the kitchen, trying to grab a glass of orange. When his hands failed to stop shaking, he smacked the glass cup down onto their granite counter top.

"Eren! Are you trying to break the glass?!" Carla exclaimed, but as she stepped around him, she stopped and stared at his pale face. She pressed her hands to her mouth and quickly ushered him to the cream sofa. "Are you okay, honey? Are you feeling sick? Nauseous? Do you need to lay down?"

Registering his fretting mother, Eren pushed away her hands. "M'fine. Just tired. I think class is wearing me down."

"Are you sure? You don't look too well. I think we should go to the hospital. You haven't been sleeping well. I hear you tossing and turning at night. I'm _worried_."

"I'm fine! Geez, you, Armin, and Mikasa! They're just weird dreams. I'll get over it eventually. Anyways, I'm heading out. I told Armin that I'd hang out with him and the others today since we don't have class today." he pushed her away and headed for the door to grab his shoes.

"Eren..."

His mother's soft voice stopped him in his tracks. Sighing, he turned around and walked back to her. For the first time, he realized how much taller he was than her now. He wasn't a child anymore. Her once beautiful brown, lush hair revealed a more prominent streak of gray and her young, smooth skin began to crease at the edges of her eyes or mouth. His mother was getting older. Eren pulled her into a tight embrace, hearing her surprise gasp. The dream came back and he held her tighter. He wouldn't be able to bear losing her. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "it's just...it's a little tough working part time and going to class. Professor Shadis is throwing a lot of work on us."

Carla chuckled, "He didn't use to always be like that..."

Her words reminded him and his mother knew Professor Shadis. If he remembered correctly, it was actually Shadis that had introduced his mother to his father. "Well, he's old and grumpy now."

"Are you calling me old too?" Carlas pulled out of his embrace, smacking him lightly on his arm.

Eren grinned. "No away, mom. You're still young and beautiful."

"Alright, now you're just being sarcastic." Carla rolled her eyes. "Fine, get going then. But if you start feeling sick, come straight home."

"Yes, mother." Eren slipped on his shoes, waving goodbye to her before he left to meet up with the others.

They met at a cafe, choosing to sit by the window. After ordering and receiving their food and drinks, Connie and Sasha broke out into a bicker when Sasha stole Connie's food. Armin and Jean were cuddle up across from him and Historia—formerly known as Krista before she changed her name legally—was hand feeding Ymir, who all but enjoyed it. Mikasa, who sat beside him, ate quietly as usual. Eren ignored them. He wanted to see if he could find Levi in the passing crowd because honestly, he hadn't given up. But as the conversation died, he realized they were looking at him. He looked over to them and raised a questioning brow. "Yeah?"

"I asked if you've finished Professor Shadis's assignment yet?" asked Historia.

"Oh...uh, not yet. I'm still working on it," Eren replied sheepishly.

"Aaagh!" Connie groaned loudly as he banged his forehead on the table, "Why did Professor Shadis have to be the only one teaching Sociology? He's a pain in the ass!"

"But at least that means that he doesn't take things lightly," Armin said, "…and wants us to do well?"

"Do well? If that was so, he wouldn't be trying to fail a student because their _partner_ decided she wanted to eat and be late for class!" Connie argued, giving Sasha his evil glare.

Sasha paused midway from stuffing another bread into her mouth and eyed Connie. She swallowed, then replied, "But my dad had these delicious, savory bacon on the pan, grilling...I couldn't say no! And oh...it was so tasty." Her mouth began to water.

Connie grunted and then, out of revenge, stole her bread. However, Sasha let out a yelp and tried to grab it back. The two broke out in another bicker. Sighing, Eren shook his head and went back to looking out the window. It was Armin who leaned across the table to ask if he was feeling okay. Eren nodded, but Armin's concern didn't go unnoticed by Mikasa. He had to fend her off from checking on him much to Armin's amusement.

"Stop it, Mikasa. I'm fiiiiiine," he whined.

Jean smirked. "Can't even handle a woman. You won't ever find anyone virgin boy."

Eren scowled at him. "Shut up horse face. You're lucky Armin chose you or I would have beaten the shit out of you."

"What?" Jean growled, his hands planted tightly on top of the table as he leaned over.

Mikasa sighed and forcefully pushed Eren back. She looked over Jean, shaking her head. "Don't. We're in public."

Still seething from Jean's insult, Eren crossed his arms across his shoulder. He shot a glare at Jean, who returned it with one of his own. He still didn't understand what Armin saw in him, but Armin seemed happy. As long as he kept Armin happy, Eren wasn't going to do anything.

"Make Armin cry even once and I'll come find you, cut your dick, and stuff it down your throat," Eren threatened.

"Hah?! If anything, I should be telling you to watch your back. Shit, always making Armin worry," Jean countered with a sneer, "All he ever fucking talks about now is how worried he is about you. If you fucking cared, you would shut up and listen to him."

"Enough you two!" Armin hissed, "Can't you two go without arguing for once?"

Eren _hmph_ , then turned to look back out the window. His eyes scanned the crowd once more. As if something was calling out to him, Eren was lured to stare across the street. It was like a beacon in the darkness. The bustling people faded to gray, leaving only _him_ visible to his eyes. Levi sat on a guard rail, a cigarette lazily hanging from his mouth. Warmth pooled at the pit of Eren's stomach as he watched the older man. Suddenly, Levi's eyes slid over to him. Eren's breath hitched. Levi was looking at him. Eren swallowed, unable to look away. And then, just like it happened, Levi was turning his gaze away and getting up to leave. Caught up in the moment, Eren stood and pushed his way out of the booth. Armin and Mikasa called out after him, but he ignored them, focusing only on his goal. He needed to get to Levi. Why? He didn't know. He just knew he needed to be beside the older man.

However, he lost sight of Levi when he arrived. Swiveling on his feet, he turned almost a full circle then spotted Levi's back. He gave chase, ignoring the fact that he was pushing people out of the way nad making them angry. He didn't even notice Levi had stopped and practically ran into him. Apologizing immediately, he stepped back. His eyes were only on Levi, but when he finally took notice of his surrounding, he realized Levi wasn't alone. Standing on either side of him was the same woman and man who were with him when Levi had killed that man. Eren blinked, feeling unsure all of sudden. And then Levi's eyes were on him, boring into him. His skin tingled, his face heated, and his stomach did little flips. Did he dare call it a crush? Probably.

"Awww, look it that! He's blushing!" the girl—Isabel—gushed. "Big brother Levi, you've got a fan! No, not a fan. You've got a young man crushing on you!"

Levi cluck his tongue in annoyance, yet Eren only felt relief. Levi was there, standing in front of him with his frown, face contorted in annoyance, the bud of cigarette still lit, lingering in his mouth. Eren smiled slowly and then everything went black.

The sound of scribbling—pen scratching on paper—entered his ear first, followed by the sound of something whooshing. A cool breeze was dusting over his face, pulling him farther from his sleep. He was uncomfortable, but there was definitely something thin on top of him. Eren forced his eyes open, groggily looking up at a ceiling fan. Blinking once, then again, he quickly sat up.

"Finally awake, brat," said a voice.

Eren turned toward the voice, shocked and unable to speak. The light from the window behind Levi cast him in a shadow, but he knew the voice well enough. Oddly, he remembered his voice from his dreams too.

"It'd be nice if you didn't faint on me," Levi said, his forehead pressed into the palm of his hand.

"Um, where am I?" Eren asked tentatively.

"And he speaks...you're in my office."

"Your office?"

Levi tilted his head slightly to the side and pointed to the tattoo. "At the Legion's headquarters, hideout, whatever you want to call it."

"Your...office though?" Eren glanced around. It was clean, crisp and pristine. Not a speck of dust could be seen and everything was organized; definitely a lot better looking than his room.

Levi's left eyebrow ticked up. "I'm the boss of Legion."

 _Holy shit fuck_. Eren's eyes widen in shock. He scooted slightly backward, but it was already too late to try and back out. He'd been pining after the boss of a notorious gang unknowingly.

"So, did you want to join us?" Levi asked.

"Huh?" Eren replied lamely.

"You've been following me around lately and at first I just thought you were just an adrenaline junky, a brat who wanted to know the thrill of claiming to be in a gang, but you were quite persistent. It made me change my mind about you. So, did you want to join?"

Levi was standing up now and stalking toward him as if he was his prey. Eren gulped, shaking his head. "No. I don't want to join."

That was probably the wrong answer because Levi was suddenly glaring, his eyes piercing sharp as if it could read him like an open book. "I don't want to believe what Isabel said was true because if it is, you are one fucking stupid kid."

Eren was flushing, remembering that Isabel had called him out on his crush. He tried to look away, but then Levi was there in his space. His knee was strategically placed between his legs, arms on either side of his head to block him in. Levi leaned in close, his breath tickling his skin, their lips close enough to kiss. The scent of pine and something nutty, like the fresh scent of a forest mixed with washed out cigarette invaded his smell. _Levi's scent_. It was alluring. Eren's eyes slipped half way close. He wondered if he could taste it. His eyes slid up to gaze into Levi's dark, cloudy eyes. He could see it, the murky haze of lust glinting in the older man's eyes. Eren licked his lower lip, watching as Levi followed his darting, teasing tongue, then fell on his wet lips. And then the look was gone. Levi was pushing away, his back turned toward him. Eren let out an exhale, the heat between them dispersing, but it left him wanting more.

"Get out," Levi growled.

Startled, Eren said, "But-"

"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Farlan, take him."

Farlan entered the room and was by his side before he could even blink. Eren was dragged up and ushered out of the office. He didn't even get to say goodbye to Levi. He tried to turned his head to look over his shoulder, but Farlan easily blocked his view. Scowling, Eren faced forward. He pulled his arm free, glaring at Farlan as he made his way out of the building. As soon as he stepped out, the glass door behind him shut loudly, indicating he wasn't ever allowed back in. He turned and looked up at the building. It looked like any other business building. Sighing, he walked back home.

Returning to his room felt worst than usual. Everything he did bombarded him like a thick veil, suffocating him. He was chasing down a gang boss; even had a crush on him, saw a murder scene, nearly kissed said man, and all but felt like he was lost. In actuality, it was good if Levi pushed him away. The world he lived in was different than his. He didn't need to get involved. But something inside him didn't want to let go of him. Sighing again, he got ready for bed and as he lay in it, his thoughts drifted away and he fell asleep.

Eren expected another nightmare, but for once he was free of it. Instead, he found himself staring at a pair of laced hands. One of them was his, the other belonged to someone else. His heart felt at peace. He could feel a slight smile on his lips, despite the fact that he was naked. Not even the warmth of another naked body beside him deterred him from his happiness. "When we defeat them, let's go live outside the walls," he heard himself whisper.

"Outside the walls?" a familiar husky voice rumbled next to his ear.

His body seem to melt into a puddle at the voice. Eren laughed a little. He turned his head and looked straight into gray eyes. "Yes. We can live by the ocean. What do you think Levi-heichou?"

Levi brought their intertwined hand down, then brushed his chapped lips against the back of his hand. It was the softest gesture he ever seen and felt from his captain. "Sounds good. If we live through this shit, that is."

"We will." Determination filled his voice. Eren leaned forward, kissing Levi softly and quickly. "We will kill those bastards and we will live. We will live to see beyond those walls and make sure humanity wins once and for all."

"And there goes my suicidal brat."

"I'm not suicidal!"

Levi gave him one of his rare smiles, sending flutters through him. He felt a tug on his arm, letting himself be drawn to his captain. Sighing contently, he snuggled closer. He felt the safest in Levi's arms.

"We'll live," Levi whispered. It almost felt like a prayer. "We'll live..."

Eren stirred, his hands grasping around nothing but air. He sat up in his bed and looked around. Levi wasn't there. It was a dream; it was a good dream, but the dream was too good. He felt heavy, weighed down with a yearning he never knew he could feel. He missed Levi and it was only yesterday when he saw him, but the dream felt so real and he wanted it to be real. He didn't even care if Levi was the boss of Legion. He just wanted to be by his side, to wake up in his bed beside him, to feel his heat, to hear the beating of his heart, and just know that Levi was alive. He would give anything to be allowed the chance to be in his arms, safe and warm. Eren took a shuddering breath, feeling the tears well up. He didn't know where these emotions were coming from, but he needed to see him again. Glancing at the clock, he noted he still had time before his part time job. He got ready quickly, dressing his best. He said goodbye to his mother first and then left, finding his way back to the Legion's base. He lingered outside, waiting to see if Levi would come out or go in. He waited and waited until it was time for his work. Dejectedly, he left for his job, then his classes, and returned in the evening to wait. Night fell and still no sight of Levi.

For days on end, he continued this routine. The nightmares started plaguing him again, but he tried to ignore most of it while he waited for Levi until finally, Armin and Mikasa caught him in the act. They forcefully dragged him away; well, Mikasa dragged him while Armin lectured him. They sat him down at a booth in a cafe and waited. Eren stared at them both, finally sighing and dropped his head to his arms. "I can't get him out of my head," he whined.

"Who?" Mikasa ask, her voice laced with killing intent, "I can make him disappear."

"No, you don't want to do that," Armin said, "It's that guy you bumped into right? You know, if I think on it, this whole dream thing all started after you bumped into him. Could it be that you're just...I don't know, sexually frustrated?"

"Ugh, hearing that from you Armin...it's weird. An innocent face, but you're saying things like sexually frustrated," Eren grumbled.

"Stay focus," Armin hissed. "So, who is it?"

"His name is Levi," Eren answered, his voice muffled by his arms.

"Last name?" asked Mikasa.

"Don't know," Eren said, his eyes peeking up.

"And what does he do?" Armin asked this time, "I mean...you know, in the Legion."

"...he's the boss," Eren whispered, so quietly that Mikasa and Armin had to lean in.

"He's what?" Armin asked.

"He's the boss," Eren said, a bit louder and this time Armin gasped while Mikasa seethed in anger. "Look, I know it's dangerous and I shouldn't get involved, but...there's something about him that makes me want to see him again. I can't help it. It's like my mind is doing everything on its own."

"Eren..." Armin whispered, "this is so, so wrong. You could get killed!"

"If that bastard lays on hand on you, I'll kill him myself," Mikasa threatened.

"I won't! If he really did want to... _kill_ me, I'd already be dead by now. I'm sure he sees me loitering outside the building and he hasn't done anything. And I've already talked to him more than once. He doesn't seem...all bad."

Silence fell around them. It seemed Armin and Mikasa accepted it as it was, but he knew they were still against it. Their conversation eventually drifted to school and assignments that still needed to be done. Thankfully, they never broached the topic of Levi again. On his return home, he felt lighter. Maybe he needed to vent somewhere about his feelings. Whatever it was, he felt better now.

He returned home with a skip in his step. His hands were reaching for his keys as the other went to open the door knob. Strangely, the door knob twisted under his hand. Frowning, he opened the unlocked door, then realized that the television was blasting on high volume. _Huh? That's not like mom to leave the door unlock and have the T.V. on like that...and I know I locked the door_ , he thought. He went inside, immediately turning off the television to silence it. He looked around, but nothing was out of order. Shuffling into the hallway, he flicked on the light, but it didn't turn on. He frowned again, flicking it up and down, but nothing. He gave up and slowly made his way to his mother's room. "Mom?" he called out.

The floorboards squeaked under his feet. An air of eeriness filled the place. Where it was usually bright and sunny, filled with the aroma of savory food, it was now cold and dark. He gulped, slowly walking to his mother's bedroom door that was ajar. With his heart rapidly beating, his blood thrumming, pounding in his ears, he pushed the door open. His breath caught in his throat for a second. He stared, eyes wide in horror. Eren let out a heart wrenching scream. He screamed and screamed till his throat was scratchy and he couldn't muster another breath. He stepped backward, his back hitting the wall of the hallway. His legs lost stability under him and he suddenly slid to the floor. His mother's dismembered body lay strewn across her bed. Blood soaked through the sheets, dripping onto the carpet. Her decapitated head was artfully placed on top of the pillow with roses placed around it. A single rose was stuff between her lips. Eren covered his mouth, stifling his cry as tears streamed down his cheeks. He needed to call the cops, but his body wouldn't move.

A whole five minute passed with his eyes fixated on his mother's body. Eren forced himself to get up, but the moment he stood up, his stomach churned. Bending over, he vomited whatever he had eaten earlier. He wiped his mouth with the back of his trembling hand. Body still shaking, he grabbed his cell phone from his backpack. He dialed for the police, waiting in silence as the other line rung. The police operator picked up, her voice called out in a muffle through his fuzzy mind. Blinking, he finally answered her. He told what he found in a hollow tone. Fifteen minutes later, his apartment complex was surrounded in red and blue lights.

The processing went on around him in a blur. He couldn't think. His mother was dead. _Dead_. It couldn't be true. Eren stared lifelessly as his apartment became a crime scene. He had no where else to go.

"Are you Eren Jaeger?" a voice asked, bringing him out of his stupor.

Eren looked over to the owner of the voice. He was an older man with blond hair and blue eyes. The man held his hand out to him. At first Eren stared, but slowly lifted his hand to shake it. "Yes...that's me," he replied quietly.

"I'm Detective Erwin Smith. This is my partner, Detective Hange Zoe." The detective pointed to a female with brown hair tied in a pony tail wearing glasses standing next to him.

She gave him a smile, but Eren couldn't return it. What was there to smile about? His mom was dead and the criminal bastards were getting away. It wasn't until he felt the tight squeeze on his hand that he realized Erwin still had his hand firmly grasped.

"I promise you, we will find the person or people that did this and bring them to justice. For now, do you have anyone you can call?" Erwin asked.

"Anyone...I can...call?" Eren repeated, then nodded his head, "Yeah...my friends. Armin and Mikasa."

He took out his cell phone, but his hand was shaking so much, he couldn't dial the phone number. Erwin took the phone out of his hand and handed it to Hange. She called for him while Eren stared back at his apartment. He didn't know how long had passed, but Armin and Mikasa were suddenly there. They pulled him into a hug, crying and comforting him, but Eren had no tears left to cry. All that was left was anger; anger that boiled from the pit of his stomach, seeping deep into his bones, crying out for revenge. And revenge he would have. He was going to kill whoever did this. He didn't care for legal justice. It only meant the criminal or criminals would go to jail and live, thriving in a perfectly kept place with food to feed them, all provided by tax payers. He didn't want that. No, he wanted the murdering bastards to die by his hands. He would do the same as they did to his mother, only slower. He would torture them and watch as their blood pour from their bodies. Eren clenched his hands into fists tightly until marks were left behind. He would have their blood even if it meant he was going to become a murderer himself.

"Detective Smith," an officer called out hesitantly, "don't you think this is similar to the other case from a year ago?"

"You mean the case of young Marco Bott?" Hange asked.

"Yeah. His body was found in a similar way. They said the unsub was someone from the Legion."

Eren's heart froze at the police officer's words. _Someone from the Legion?_ It couldn't be. Levi wouldn't kill his mother to make him stop coming by the building. _But no...he did kill that man. Levi is still a murderer_. Eren tore away from Armin and Mikasa. He didn't care how worried they were at the moment. What mattered now was getting to Levi. He ran despite Armin's and Mikasa's protests and the detectives and cops confused stares. He didn't need their help. He knew where Levi was and he was going to have his revenge.

The scenery whipped pass him as he ran with a speed beyond what he knew. His feet pounded hard on the cement floor, mixing with the ring of his breathing. He spotted the building and pushed himself to run the last few feet until he noticed a black Elantra car pulling up. It came to a stop and for a second nothing happened. Then the doors swung open. Levi stepped out smoothly, wearing a black Armani suit, cigarette lit and sitting between his perfect lips. Eren almost lost his nerve the moment he saw him, but then he remembered his mother's dismembered body and rage filled him as much as the sorrow of knowing the man in front of him was the cause of it. He ran full speed, a bloodcurdling scream erupting from his lips, echoing high into the sky. People turned, watching him as he hurdled toward Levi. Eren remembered tackling into him and then all hell broke loose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Attack on Titan.

 **A/N:** This is an AU fanfic. Characters may be out of character.

 **Warning:** Rated M for sexual content and violence.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

His arm swung, hitting flesh. The loud impact of fist on skin reverberated deep in his ear. It made him giddy and he reveled in it. Eren managed to climb on top of Levi, straddling him as he pulled his arm back for another punch. It never made it. Farlan appeared behind him, quickly disposing him by grabbing him and tossing him off. He flew a few feet away, but swiftly scrambled to his feet. Two other men approached him, making a grab for him. Eren swiveled to the right, dodging the first man, then kicking him in the balls. He didn't care of it was dirty fighting—what mattered was beating the crap out of the men who murdered his mother. The first man doubled over and Eren uppercut him, knocking him back. The second one got him from behind, wrapping his beefy arms around him and trapping him in. Eren kicked, struggling against him. It was a failure as more men surrounded him, forcing him down onto his knees. Suddenly, Levi was standing in front of him, feet planted straight in line of his eye sight. One of the men holding him tugged his hair, pulling his head back with a snap. Eren winced at the pain. Being forced to look up, he was once again greeted to the sight of a shadowed Levi. The light of the evening sun glistened in the background. The edge of Levi's form glowed. He looked almost holy. And then his vision blurred. Pain shot through head, jarring him from his trance. Eren shook his head, blinking to fix his eye sight. The metallic taste of blood invaded his mouth. He ran his tongue over his teeth, thinking he had lost a tooth, but everything was still intact. A quick flick of Levi's foot caught his gaze. He tried to avoid, but Levi kicked him again, knocking his head the other way. Again and again, Levi kicked. Another one to his head, then at his stomach. Pain stung every part of him. Eren felt the arms on him loosen, but his strength had already left his body. He slumped to the cement, blood gushing from his busted lips and cut skin. A hand gripped his hair again, forcing him to tilt his head back once more. Levi was looking at him. Annoyance, anger, and, dare he say, _lust_ , flashed through his gray eyes in the span of one second before settling into a blank stare.

"Suicidal, fucking brat...I have no idea what's gotten into you," Levi said levelly, "but try that again and I'll gut you open and feed your innards to pigs. Take him away."

Eren felt himself being grabbed again. He groaned, wanting to yell, to scream and cry, to blame everything that happened on Levi, but his words were slurred into another long groan. He was lugged onto a shoulder like a potato sack. The last thing he saw as Levi's disappointed expression before darkness took over. _Fuck..._

He woke up to the sound of beeping machines inside a white room. Someone had brought him to a hospital. Eren moaned as he sat up. His bones creaked, aching in every place. A hand shot out to help him. He flicked his gaze to the right where the hands came from. Armin was standing there, worried and tired. His friend's eyes were baggy with exhaustion. Mikasa, who was standing next to him, didn't look much different.

"Finally woke up?" a stranger's voice asked.

Eren glanced to his left. The detective from earlier was sitting in a chair with his arms propped on his knee and his hand folded. His partner was standing next to him. He nodded at them, but winced immediately from the painful throbbing.

"Careful," Armin whispered.

Mikasa added, "We found you beaten to a bloody pulp."

"And they wouldn't tell us how you may have gotten hurt," Erwin said with a small smile.

Eren knew the detective was suspicious of his actions. He didn't blame the detective either. After all, he ran when he heard the Legion's name being mentioned and then they found him in a bloody mess. If anything at all, the police were probably linking him to the gang.

"Want to tell us?" Hange asked.

For a moment, Eren almost wanted to tell them everything; how he bumped into Levi, how he followed him not even knowing the man was the boss of Legion, how he saw Levi kill someone, but his gut feeling was telling him not to confess. Protecting Levi was probably the worst choice ever, but his heart wouldn't let him tell the truth. "I was angry...angry at how useless I was...angry for leaving my mom alone...angry at the world for choosing my mother...and I wanted to take out my anger on someone. Chose the wrong people was all," he muttered.

"Uh huh," Erwin said. His tone indicated that he didn't believe him. "Well, it's a good thing you don't have a concussion, but to be on the safe side, the doctors wanted you to stay in the hospital."

"I see..." Eren mumbled.

"It wasn't the Legion," Erwin stated out of the blue.

Surprised, Eren looked over to the detective. "What?"

"We compared the M.O. of your mother's, Carla's, crime scene to Marco Bott and many of the other victims who had fallen prey to the Butcher. It didn't match. While the signature of the unsub was similar to how he placed the roses around the decapitated head, the rose placed inside the mouth wasn't the same. At first, we thought maybe the Butcher was adding a new signature, but the victimology didn't match either. The Butcher targeted young, white males, often young adults. And..." Erwin hesitated. He seem to glance over to Hange, who twitched slightly.

"What is it?" Eren asked forcefully, fear clinging to him.

"Carla Jaeger...our coroner said he found evidence of sexual assault. No semen, but there were other evidences. The Butcher never sexually assaulted his victims."

Eren's heart dropped. He fell backward onto the hospital bed none too gently. His breath came out in short huffs. The heart monitor began beeping loudly. The room was suddenly filled with nurses. He didn't know what was happening, but everything was painful. He didn't want this. He wished it was all just a dream.

"He's having an anxiety attack. Please, all of you, step out of the room," one nurse said.

One moment, he was staring at a white ceiling, next he was looking at a nurse. Her mouth was moving, but he didn't understand her. A prick of pain stabbed his arm, but he barely acknowledged it. The darkness called to him once more. His eyes drooped until his breathing evened and sleep whispered him into a dreamless dream.

When he woke up again, it was just Armin and Mikasa along with Armin's grandfather and Mikasa's parents. They offered to help prepare his mother's funeral. He let them because he didn't care. He closed his eyes, ignoring Armin's quiet sobbing and Mikasa's comforting hand on his. He only wanted to sleep and never wake up again.

Reality wouldn't let him have such an easy way out. His mother's funeral came a lot sooner than he expected. As soon as he was discharged, the funeral was on its way. Dressed in his black suit, the only one he had, he stood in the front pews of the church as the guests came and went. Jean, who was usually an asshole, even had the decency to stay silent for the funeral processing. His friends offered him condolences. The guests all patted his shoulder or hugged him comfortingly, all of which he brushed aside. They didn't know his mother like he knew her. She was his world. She was his home. She was all he had because he never knew his father. She was his family and now she was gone. He stepped up onto the altar where her casket lay. Her body, stitched back to look normal, lay inside lifelessly. Looking into the casket, he touched her rubbery, cold hands. It would never be warm again. Tears threatened to fall, but he held onto them as best as he could. He would save them until he found her killer and take his revenge because that was all he had left. Stepping back down, he took his spot at the front pew again.

The detectives from his mother's case came and went. A few of the distant relatives and friends were beginning to leave too. The funeral was almost over and once it was, he would be able to investigate on his own. He had to find the culprit first. His hand clenched tightly at his side as he thought of ways to kill the murdered. Suddenly, the room fell silent save for the echoing footsteps down the aisle. Startled, Eren looked over his shoulder. He bit back a gasp. _Levi_. He was dressed in a different black Armani suit. The white collar was pulled high to hide his Legion tattoo. Despite his best to disguise who he was, it didn't hide the aura around him. The people inside the room couldn't help but stare after him. Levi made his way to the altar, stopping in front of it. He pulled a single white rose from his pocket and placed it inside the coffin. He turned and instead of leaving, headed straight for him. Awed, Eren took a single stepped back only to realize the pews behind him prevented him from going anywhere else. Levi reached him in a matter of seconds.

"It was all over the news," Levi whispered.

Eren was dumbfounded, unable to speak.

"Your mother's death...now I know why you acted the way you did."

Guilt blossomed quickly, forcing Eren to look away from Levi's gaze. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't. Instead, use that rage for the actual murderer."

"If I knew who it was..."

"Do you want to know? Do you want revenge?"

Eren looked back to Levi swiftly. His eyes widen in surprise. "You know?"

"I may have a clue," Levi replied.

"...Tell me."

"On one condition."

Eren raised a brow. He should have known there were strings attached. "What is it?" Behind him, he could feel Armin's and Mikasa's stare. It practically seared his back, but he didn't turn reassure them. They didn't need to know what kind of deal he was making. If they knew, they would no doubt follow him, especially Mikasa. He wanted them safe. Since he already lost his mother, he didn't need to lost them either.

"Join me," Levi stated.

"What?" The offer of joining Legion was not was he expected.

"Join the Legion and I will help you. But if you join, you must leave everything behind—your life, your friends, and everything you hold dear."

"I can't exactly leave everything behind if the Legion's base is located in this city."

"I never said it was the main one."

"..."

Levi brushed pass him. "If you're interested, you know where to find me."

The tension in the room settled as soon as Levi left, but Eren's mind was still swirling around the idea of joining Legion. Could he really do it? He lifted his gaze and stared at his mother's casket. He could. If it meant finding the cold blooded murderer, he would do it.

The funeral came to a finish. His mother's body was now buried under six feet of cold dirt, inside a coffin. He raised a hand, touching the smooth, gray tomb stone. _I promise...I will avenge you_ , he thought. As he turned, he was met with two pairs of concerned eyes. He forced a smile, but Armin and Mikasa stood in their spot, determine to force out the conversation he had with Levi. "It's really nothing," he said, trying to placate their apprehension, "he was just here to offer me his condolences."

His excuse didn't persuade them, but it did make them drop the subject. Eren sighed in relief. The two of them were also like family to him. He didn't need them involved.

He returned to Armin's house since that was where he was staying in the mean time. Mikasa ended up staying the night there too, claiming she was still worried about his state of mind and didn't want to leave him alone. Eren didn't protest because he already decided to join Levi that night, so he wanted to spend his last moments in his hometown with them.

They wanted to stay up late but exhaustion won over. As Mikasa was laying on her futon, she watched Eren intently. He could feel her eyes on him even with his back turned toward her. Sighing, he turned and raised a brow at her. "What?" he asked.

"...I feel like you're going to go very far away Eren," she whispered.

He stiffened at her words. "What do you mean?"

"It's like every time Armin and I reach you, you always somehow disappear again. You're going far away...somewhere we can't reach you anymore." Mikasa sullenly pulled the covers over her head.

Eren pressed his lips together. She was always sensitive about these things. He shifted on his feet, then finally knelt down and tugged at the covers. Mikasa was curled into a ball on her side. Smiling at her, he lay himself down beside her so they were on eye level. He brushed her black, silk hair aside. "It'll be okay," he whispered soothingly. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

"I know...but I wish I could stay by your side longer," she replied.

His heart welled up in sadness, nearly convincing him to stay. Shaking his head, he pulled Mikasa into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. They remained like that for a minute longer before Eren got up and started rummaging through his bag. He dug out a scarlet scarf. It was a gift from his mother and his most precious gift. He went to Mikasa, who was now sitting up on her knees. He wrapped the scarf around her neck in silence. Somewhere in the back of his mind, an image of the two of them as children appeared. He was wrapping the scarf around her as he was doing now. He didn't ever remember doing that when they were younger, but oddly enough, it felt right. He thought Mikasa needed something to remember him by. He tugged on the ends and settled back onto his knees in front of her. "Keep it," he said as he leaned forward, placing a kiss on her forehead.

The door opened and Armin gasped. "Eren, you shouldn't be trying to take advantage of a girl's heart in moments of weakness!"

Rolling his eyes, Eren answered, "You know for a fact that I like men. And besides, Mikasa is like a sister to me...just like how you are like a brother to me."

Eren stood, grinning at Armin. He walked toward his blond friend, pulling him into an embrace. Armin seemed puzzled, but accepted his hug. The three of them settled into the futon on the floor. Eren and Armin were on the edge while Mikasa slept in the middle. They held hands tightly while staring at the ceiling.

"If someone walked in on us, they would laugh," Armin whispered.

"I don't care," Mikasa said.

"It's fine. Just for one night, we can be children again," Eren said quietly, tightening his grasp on Mikasa's hand. "Just one night..."

They fell asleep, but an hour later, Eren was up. He grabbed his bag, swinging it over his shoulder as he took one last look at his two friends. It was probably going to be his last time seeing them. He swallowed back the tears then sneaked away in the middle of the night.

Arriving at the Legion's building with only a single bag carrying the small amount of clothes he had brought with him to stay at Armin's place was the second biggest life change; the first being his mother's death. He stared at the towering building, willed himself one last time to leave his old life behind, and took a step forward. He entered into the building where he was immediately ushered to the top floor and into Levi's office. Awkwardly, he waited. Levi sat in chair behind the mahogany desk, a cigarette in his mouth. The ceiling light dimmed low, allowing Eren to view the night lights of the town below. A second passed, then Levi's eyes were opening slowly. The older man sat up straight and stared directly at him. Eren shifted on his feet.

"So, you're here which means you're willing to leave everything of your life—old life—behind," Levi stated.

"Yes," Eren answered.

"Only one bag?"

"Did I need more?"

"No. The less, the better. You're leaving this life behind anyway. Let's go."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"But...it's the middle of the night."

"Technically, it's early morning, but it doesn't matter. The faster we leave, the better. Now don't make me repeat myself again. Let's go."

"Okay."

Eren adjusted the bag on his shoulder. He stepped aside, letting Levi pass him first before he turned and followed. They went back down the building and exited. The same black Elantra car waited for them. Beside the backseat door, Farlan waited. Levi walked pass him as well and entered. Eren blinked, frozen on the spot. It was his last chance to walk away. Heart thudding against his chest, his mind swirled with a million _what if_ situations. Levi's annoyed cluck of the tongue brought him back from his thoughts. He shook his head. There was no turning back. If he wanted revenge, Levi was his best shot. Gripping the strap of his bag tighter, he entered the car.

They were soon out of town, but Eren was curious why Farlan hadn't joined them. He took a quick glance at Levi, unsure if he could ask. Curiosity eventually got the better of him. "How come Farlan stayed? I thought...he was like your right hand man or something."

"Farlan takes care of business there. He's my second pair of eyes. I need him there to report to me if something is amiss," Levi replied without hesitation.

"And Isabel?"

"She..." Levi faltered. His eyes had been closed when he was speaking, but suddenly they fluttered open. He tilted his head slightly to the side, his eyes flicking over to Eren. "How do you know their names?"

"Ah, I overheard it," Eren explained quickly.

"I see...Isabel is like Farlan. The two of them work good together."

That was about as much as Eren could get out of Levi. The rest of the drive was quiet. Eren leaned back, letting his head rest against the cool, tinted window. The passing scenery went by in a blur, quelling the lump in his throat and the heaviness in his stomach. He closed his eyes and the exhaustion of the day hit him quickly. He fell asleep listening to the soft breathing of Levi. He didn't know if the older man fell asleep too, but it was comforting to have his presence.

When we awoke, the red-orange hue of dawn could be seen across the horizon. The street had turned into a two lane going in opposite directions. It was the sea he saw first. The first light of the sun cast a beautiful color of orange scarlet on the surface. It took his breath away. _Beautiful_. There was always something about the ocean that made him feel nostalgic. He longed to one day buy a house by the sea, dreaming of the mornings when he would wake up to the sound of waves crashing onto the shore and the scent of the salty ocean in the air. He sighed.

"Are you a romanticist?" Levi asked abruptly.

"What?" Eren swiveled his head, startled with eyes wide.

"Are. You. A. Romanticist?"

Levi was looking at him with those intense eyes again. It aroused him, shaking him right to the core or rather, right to his groin. He gulped. "Uh, not exactly...I mean, I didn't have a shitty life. At least, not before this—er, not that I'm saying I'll have a shitty life once I join the Legion—"

Levi sighed, apparently annoyed by his rambling. "Shit, I ask you one question and you go off tangent."

"Sorry! I...sometimes I do dream of living by the ocean. I don't know. Something about it calms me." Eren shrugged lamely.

"...You must have had a good dream."

"Huh?"

"You were moaning in your sleep."

Eren blinked, then flushed brightly. He almost didn't remember what he dreamed about until Levi mentioned it. Flashes of skin, sweat, and a hot tongue on his heated flesh invaded his mind. "Um, uh...I—"

"Whatever. I have no idea what kind of kink you're into, but you called out my name...Levi-heichou." Levi arched a brow. "Don't ever call me that."

Shell shocked, flustered, and all kinds of embarrassed, left him wordless. He gaped, his mouth opening, then closing, then opening again.

"You look like a fucking fish. Stop that." Levi scowled.

"Idreamedaboutyou," Eren said quickly.

"Yes, you did. I heard."

"No, not right now. I meant before. After I fainted and woke up in your office, then you kick me out."

"I wonder if I'm getting myself in deep shit by taking in a stalker." Levi muttered loud enough for Eren to hear.

He blushed, but shook his head. "I'm not—ugh, it's weird. When I'm with you, I feel like everything in the world can go to shit; a fucking Armageddon can happen and I wouldn't give a fuck. I'll still be happy as long as you're here. I dreamed of...of..." All of sudden, the dream with him lying beside Levi in bed with their hands intertwined felt too personal. His tongue stuck, he merely gawked at the older man. He didn't want to speak about it, fear clinging to him that if he did, the memory of it would disappeared. Shaking his head, he took a shuddering breath. "I'm being weird."

"That's a fucking understatement," Levi mumbled under his breath.

Huffing, Eren turned back around to look out the window. It was still early and it seemed they weren't going to arrive at their destination any time soon. Sighing quietly, he closed his eyes, letting himself fall back under the sleeping spell. Maybe he would dream of something good again, not related to sex, of course.

When he next woke up, they had arrived in a city with towering sky scrapers. Light reflected against the glasses of the windows. The blue sky seem to disappear against its height, leaving only specks of blue here and there. Even the clouds felt miniature to the buildings. The sidewalks left him even more amazed with hundreds of people, each of them hurrying and doing their own thing. He even spotted a couple of street dancers and singers trying to make a few bucks. He wasn't a country boy, but he had also never been to a big city before and thus felt like a country bumpkin staring in bewilderment.

"Close that jaw," Levi stated without leaving any room for protest.

Eren immediately closed his mouth. Suddenly, he felt meek in such a huge, unfamiliar place. The car came to a stop in front of a high towering sky scraper. Exiting the car, Eren had to tilted his head all the way back just to look up at the building. He didn't get much time to view it as Levi was already moving. Pushing away his curiosities, he followed and blindly listened like a puppy to Levi. Things like straighten up his back, keep his eyes straight, and don't speak a word were Levi's command—all of which he followed without opposing. If it had been anyone else, he may not have let it go easily.

The hall was wide, but as Levi walked, the crowds or men and women parted way for him. They neared the elevator, but before they boarded, another group, consisting of three men and one woman, joined them.

"Welcome back Levi," the woman said with a smile.

"Is this a new recruit?" asked one of the men who had blond hair that was tied in a bun in the back of his head with a small beard. He seemed to eye Eren cautiously.

"Sort of," Levi replied.

"Hmph, he looks more like a scrawny dumbass," insulted the man with the light brown undercut hair.

Eren glared, but didn't say anything. If it wasn't for Levi being there, he might have insulted the man back.

"Oh God, shut up and stop trying to sound like Levi, Oluo," the woman said with a roll of her eyes.

"Petra, you're just-"

The elevator lurched roughly, tipping Eren on his feet. He stumbled, but caught himself, looking to his side just in time to see Oluo bite his tongue. A yelp escaped his lips as he saw blood spurt, dribbling down Oluo's chin. Petra snorted a laugh while the other men sighed. Levi, however, remained emotionless. Unsure if he should be trying to help Oluo, Eren fretted between staring at Levi's back and reaching out to help the bleeding man. Petra solved the problem for him by walking over and stuffing a white cloth into Oluo's face while the elevator continued moving upward smoothly once more. Settling back into place, Eren watched Petra and Oluo from the corner of his eyes for a while longer. The scene felt similar, but he couldn't quite pinpoint where he had seen it. Eventually, he figured the two didn't need his help and returned to standing stiffly behind Levi. After another five minute, the elevator finally came to a stop. Levi exited first, followed by him shortly and then the rest of the group. It was a long hallway, all white with bright florescent light. He didn't want to admit it, but the whiteness was too much, it hurt his eyes. Give him a straight jacket and he'd believe he was in some mental hospital. They eventually came upon a sliding door which needed a code and then a fingerprint from Levi. It slid open, revealing anther hallway. This time it was only Levi and him who went through. Another door was at the end of the hall, but Levi stopped abruptly, turning to his left. Eren faltered, then blinked twice, bemused by Levi's action. A whirring noise trickled through the wall and then it opened, showing another elevator. Eren gaped, jaw dropped open. He would have missed the damn elevator entrance if he didn't look closely. Levi stepped in without word and he followed again. Once again, they traveled in silence. Trepidation thrummed through his body. He wanted to say something, anything to break the heavy silence. His mouth opened and then the doors slid open.

Words died on his tongue as he slowly trailed behind Levi into the dark suite. Across from him was a glass window wall, show casing the city below. Its light illuminated brightly enough to bask the room in orange and yellow hues. Eren could clearly recognize two sofas placed across from each other with a glass coffee table in between them. Bookshelves lined the right wall and on the left was a small kitchen with bottles of different scotch and whiskey placed neatly on the counter. A small hallway was next to the kitchen, leading to two rooms where he assumed the bedroom and bathroom was located. Like the other office, a mahogany table sat across from him, strategically placed in front of the windows. Eren wandered around the place, then stopped a few feet away from Levi's side.

Levi had already taken off his suit coat, hanging it over the rolling black chair, and loosened the tie around his neck. Another cigarette lit, the older man stood looking out the window. The luminescence of the city contoured his perfect profile. It took his breath away.

"Sit," Levi commanded.

Eren listened. He walked over to the sofa and sat down. Stillness wrapped them with only the sound of car traffic below. After a few ticking minutes, Levi finally appeared beside Eren. He tossed a Ziploc bag onto the coffee table. Whatever that was inside it clinked against the glass table top. Levi walked around and sat down on the opposite sofa, cigarette and tie gone. Catching himself staring at the slightly parted buttoned shirt and tattoo, Eren flicked his gaze down to focus on the bag instead. Inside of it was a small vial—something he would find at a hospital—with a glowing blue liquid. Eren gasped slightly. It was strangely beautiful. "What is that?" he asked curiously.

"Nirvana, once known as the rich man's drug," Levi replied, "the newest designer drug, more potent that bath salt. It's been going around on the streets. Take a good look at it because that drug is the reason why your mother was killed."

"What?" Eren looked up quickly. He frowned, shaking his head before anger roiled in a burst inside him. "My mother did not do drugs!"

"I didn't say she did." Levi sighed. "Let me explain this better. In a way, your mother's death could partly be blamed on me. Do you know the Reiss family?"

Eren shook his head.

"I'm surprise you don't know." Levi raised a brow. "Reiss Oil Enterprise, Reiss Shopping District."

"Oh! Reiss Oil Enterprise. I've heard they're trying to look into safer methods of retrieving oil."

Levi hummed. "Anyways, Rod Reiss is currently the CEO. The thing is, that family hides a darker secret the society knows nothing about. They've done plenty of things that aren't legal and one of that comes from selling those drugs. They want to expand, but doing that comes with territory. Reiss is a sly businessman. Give out these drugs, make the neighborhood become infested with drug addicts, show up and become a savior by stating if he takes over this place, he can _rebuild_ the area, wipe out its filthiness and make everything better. All rainbows and sunshine, but it all sits upon the bodies of addicts he created himself. Not to mention, it brings in money for him too. Your home town, Shiganshina, was his next target. Unfortunately for him, that area belongs to me. He's been trying to get those drugs on my streets for some time now, but I've thwarted him each time. Even that man you saw me kill...a puppet of his. Bad timing."

Levi shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Reiss had a few of his men watching me for any kind of weakness. Sadly, that was around the time when you showed up and kept lingering around my place. They thought of using you and that night they went to your house to look for you. It seemed you weren't there, but your mother was, so they used her instead. I must apologize. I should have noticed what they were up to before they acted on it."

Eren stared, then blinked. A shudder prickled his skin and he gave a heavy exhale. Slumping forward, he dropped his head into the palms of his hands. "No," he croaked, "it's still my fault. You told me to stay away and I didn't listen because I was...I was...shit! If only I hadn't kept coming around you...if only I had been there with my mom." Eren held back a sob, his body shaking with rage. He thought, _it should have been me!_

"It wasn't your fault. It was Rod Reiss's fault," Levi stated in a matter-of-factly tone. "Besides, had you been there in your home that day, they would have killed you and your mother. And if you had taken your mother out, they would have taken to watching you, noting down who you hung out with, what places you went to the most, and such things. If not your mom, maybe they would have gone after your friends. He's the type of man that would stop at nothing to get what he wants. Though I guess, he wouldn't try sullying in own hands."

"But why would he go after my friends?"

"If he suspected you were in any way related to me, he would have tried using you to turn against me." Levi shrugged nonchalantly.

Lifting his head, he glared from behind his bangs with his hands clenched into fists. "What would you have me do? This man, Rod Reiss, I want to destroy him and his whole enterprise. If he thinks he can just play with people's lives and get away with it, he better start second guessing himself. I'll destroy him and everything he owns and cares for. I'll make his life a fucking living hell."

Levi observed them, then nodded slowly. "I'll have Petra show you the works of it. You'll start off watching the streets for those drugs."

"Okay," Eren agreed, but in truth, he really wanted to go after the bastards who killed his mother. Getting up from the sofa, he took another glance around the office. "Do you live here?"

"Of course not," Levi answered.

"But—" Eren lifted a hand and waved is across the suite.

"Sometimes I stay here when I don't feel like driving back to my house and when I like to be alone."

"Oh." An awkward silence ensued. Eren shifted on his feet, then glanced at Levi from the corner of his eyes. "So, where will I be staying?"

Levi eyed him back with a blank expression.

"I mean...I literally came here with only the bag I'm carrying. I didn't finish college and I don't have much in my bank account."

"You can't use your card," Levi said immediately.

"Why not?"

"If your friends decide to file a missing person report on you, they can track you through that. Although, since you are considered an adult already, the police probably won't look very hard for you, assuming you left on your own free will. Except, you're mother was just murdered. They won't let that off easily and will search for you."

"Talking about police. I'm surprise the cops aren't knocking on your door considering how very out there you are. You're not exactly...hiding, even though people say you're...you know."

"A gang? A mafia?" Levi shrugged. "I do things legally and they can't arrest me for that. Do I, maybe, do things a little too roughly? Probably."

"...What will I do then?"

Levi gave him an _isn't-it-obvious_ look. "You'll be staying with me."

Eren flushed at the thought of staying with Levi. He couldn't help but remember his dream from the car. Stammering, he asked, "I...I am?"

"Don't let your little mind run to the gutter. Where I live is also where a few others live to," Levi said with his usual deadpan expression.

Flushing some more, Eren shifted on his feet, muttering an apology under his breath. He couldn't help that his attraction to the older man was more out of control than he thought. Remaining in silence, he followed Levi back out of the office, going back the way they came from. They were once again surrounded by the same group of people from earlier and was finally introduced to them. The girl, as he heard earlier, was Petra Ral and the man who bit his tongue was Oluo Bozado. The one with the beard was Eld Jinn and next to him with sleek black hair, gelled back to an odd point was Gunther Schultz. These four people made up of the small group which directly reported to Levi and followed his commands. In other words, they were his special guards who directly followed his command before passing it down the chain to the smaller workers. They also happen to live in the same place as Levi did.

"Why?" Eren asked, curious as to why Levi chose to live with them when he could be living by himself.

"Safety purposes," Petra replied, "in case anyone tried to assassinate Levi, we'll be in close range to stop it."

"Oh." Eren blinked.

Of course it was to protect Levi, but as he glanced over to the older man, he wondered if he even needed the help. Levi looked strong. Even his aura vibrated a sense of strength that practically compelled people to bow before him. _Like some kind of divine God_ , Eren thought. He studied Levi's profile again, fixated on how his black eyelashes accentuated his sharp eyes, to his straight, pointed nose hinted with masculinity and yet delicate to convey his youthful features. And then there was his lip, slightly thin on top, but full on the bottom. They looked kissable, even suckable; something he would love to have a taste of and one that he wouldn't tire of either. Eren gulped, tracing Levi's angular jaw down to his neck. Everything about the older man screamed hot, sex, and messy. His gaze trailed back up along the high cheekbone until he realized Levi was watching him from the corner of his eyes. Caught, Eren froze. A blush crept across his face. As if knowing what he was doing to him, Levi lifted his lip into a small smirk. It wasn't a smile, but it still sent shivers down his abdomen, straight to his groin. The soft stirring of arousal caused him to shift on his feet. Eren looked away, hoping to calm his body down. Now was probably not the time to sport an erection with so many of Levi's people around. He took a deep breath, willing his thrumming blood to settle. After some soothing techniques of breathing and thinking about anything other than Levi's hot skin on his, he calmed down, and just in time as the elevator doors slid open and they were back on the ground floor. Eren gave a sigh of relief.

They climbed into a limousine like car and once settled into their seats, Levi began explaining Eren's presence, staring from how they met, to Eren's constant lingering, his mother's death, the cause of it, and finally why he was there. The car was silent for a mere moment. Then Eld exhaled loudly.

"Wouldn't that be his own fault?" Eld asked bluntly.

Eren gritted his teeth. As much as he hated it, it was the truth. It was his fault for not listening to Levi. "I—"

"Still," Gunther interrupted, "to make his mother take his place, it means Reiss is serious."

"Fucking bastard," Oluo mumbled under his breath.

Petra sighed softly, her gaze softening when it landed on Eren, "If Levi commands it, then we'll do as he says."

Her words ended the conversation and soon the ride to Levi's place took on a quiet, somber mood. Eren, sitting next to the door, gazed out of the window. A jumble of emotions fluttered everywhere within him. He hoped he made the right decision.

As the car neared a huge modern mansion, Eren stared wide eye at the sight of the black, ornate, wrought iron gate opening before them, revealing a large two story building. The driveway wrapped around in a circle with a fountain right in the middle, kind of like something he would see in a movie. As if the outside wasn't jaw dropping enough, when they entered the mansion, Eren's mind blew away. Two stairs curved on each side of the entrance, leading to the top floor. Tan marble floors glistened brightly, clean and sparkling, reflecting the lights off the crystal chandeliers hanging above. He could see a large swimming pool in the backyard with a waterfall cascading from the top floor. Eren closes his mouth slowly, though he was still stunned at the sight.

An older maid greeted them quickly, then disappeared after taking their coats and his bag. Levi told him to follow the maid and he did. She led him to an inhabited room upstairs. To his right, a king size bed, with its headboard pushed against the wall, was in the center. Sheer white canopy curtains fell over the edges of the top. One look at the bedding with its sleekness told a story of silk, smooth, satin sheets and soft pillows. His body tingled at the thought of those on his skin. Glass window and door displayed a balcony with another swimming pool, the very location of the cascading waterfall. Off to the side, closer to the edge with glass railing, was a hot tub. To his realization, the balcony connected all the rooms on the second floor. Twirling on his feet, he peeked through another door in the room. A walk in closet with drawers for clothes, ties, shoes, and jewelries. And then there was the bathroom which was like another room. Its huge tub could fit at least five adults and the shower didn't even have doors or shower curtains. It was embedded into the marble wall, open with the drain only a few inches away. Counter tops gleamed pristine and unused. Eren slowly stepped toward the bathtub and looked over the side. _Yup, those are jets_.

Flabbergasted, he exited the bathroom. He stared, overwhelmed by the sight of everything. He needed air. He quickly escaped to the balcony, opening the glass door and stepping onto the cement floor. He took one breath and exhaled slowly. He turned and stopped. Levi was already there, stripped of suit jacket, tie gone, and his shirt unbuttoned on the top. He was smoking again.

"Petra is going to show you the works of things here," Levi said, turning to face him.

"Okay..." Eren said, making sure his voice wasn't shaking.

Levi, however, arched a brow, catching it.

Eren smiled nervously. "This...is um...a little overwhelming." He pointed to the room and then everything around them with a wave of his hand. "I've never lived in such...luxury. It's kinda hard to settle in."

Levi huffed—a mild way of laughing. "Don't worry. I'm sure Oluo and the other two guys have something to break you in."

Eren blinked. "What? What does that mean?"

"Good luck."

Levi's vague answer left him even more nervous. He tried to stop the older man to get more answers, but Levi had already shut the balcony door to his room, which Eren briefly registered, was right next to his room. Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind him. He turned, facing the three men. Oluo looked ecstatic, but Eld and Gunther looked almost apologetic with a grimace. This was not good. Oluo approached him, a smirk plastered on his face. He reached out with a hand and wrapped it around his shoulder.

"Today, we will welcome you into the Legions...in the most traditional of ways. Don't wuss out now," Oluo said as he flashed the item in his right hand.

Eren gaped in horror. "Oh no," he squeaked. _Yeah, not good at all!_

* * *

 **A/N:** I forgot that I had already finished chapter 3, so I didn't post it. This was during the time when fanfiction was down and I couldn't log in. Oops XD...anyways, here is chapter 3.


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